Currently Coveting: Dior Crazy Tie-Dye Blush

It's been a couple years since I've done a Currently Coveting, but I'm bringing it back for an encore for this most beautiful of beauties:

via

That's the Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Healthy Glow Enhancing Powder Tye Dye Edition 001 Pink Sunrise. (Also, Dior, WHAT THE FUCK WITH THE NAMES.) The 002 Coral Sunset is equally stunning, but I would get much more wear out of this pink. It was released a few weeks ago, but not at Sephora, so I didn't pick it up during the sale, but now I see that it's on the Sephora website (I buy stuff from there when I can because if I'm gonna spend the money, it might as well go towards my points [not that there's often anything I actually want to use my points on, but you know, just in case there ever is]) and you guys, I NEED IT. (I also need to learn how to have sentences that don't consist of 8 separate clauses, but one thing at a time, folks.) I come from Eugene, for God's sake. I grew up surrounded by tie-dye, though my mother is no fan of the look, so the only tie-dye I ever owned was stuff I made at friends' birthday parties. I feel like it's ridiculous to even consider spending $57 on a blush––the hippies that actually wear tie-dye would be appalled at the price (and likely, the entire concept of cosmetics)––but YOU GUYS. IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL. I won't buy it, because I do not have that kind of money right now, but ... maybe someone will give it to me for my birthday. Or someones, since $57 for a gift is a lot. Of course, it might not still be available by the end of July. Have I mentioned it's $57? I'm hoping the madness will pass if I remind myself of that enough. But then I look at it, and...le sigh. DAMNIT, DIOR.

The crazy tie-dye blush beauties are available from Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy's, Saks, and Dior at $57.00 ($57!!) for 0.35 oz. Give me strength, my friends.

What have you been lusting after lately?

Currently Coveting: Chanel Taboo

JUST LOOK AT IT.

via Chanel

(But $27 is insane.)

(I might still buy it.)

Currently Coveting: Um, Everything, I Guess?

I lost my phone on Monday, so to make myself feel better I've been looking at pretty things that I want. (I'm holding out hope that someone will turn it in this week, but that's not terribly likely...fortunately, they'll give me an early upgrade, so I can still have a phone!)

Le Métier de Beauté Bauhaus Eye Kaleidoscope

source

I want this for several reasons. One, pretty. Two, the LMdB eyeshadow formula is great. Three, three of the four eyeshadows are shades not present in my collection (I suspect the top color could be duped by some combination of neutrals in my stash, but the others are utterly unique). But I don't really have need for a $95 eyeshadow palette (understatement), so for now, I will satisfy myself with swatches from The Beauty Look Book (she makes me want everything) and Blushing Noir (who shows that layered, they create a gorgeous taupe––and who doesn't want another taupe?!). Seriously, guys, talk me out of it.

Currently Coveting: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders

Just because Meteorites didn't work out for me doesn't mean I've given up hope for finding a natural luminous finishing powder! Hourglass's new ones look (and sound––no talc or parabens!) very intriguing. I look forward to reading reviews and seeing swatches, since I have no real Sephora nearby where I can check them out myself, le sigh. Part of me hopes they're no good, though, because $45 is ouchy-making.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders by beyondjustbeauty on polyvore.com (OMG YOU GUYS, Polyvore is the best)

I'm particularly intrigued by Ethereal, Mood, and Dim Light (available from Sephora, $45/.35 oz). What do you think?

Currently Coveting: Smooch-Proof Lip Color

Unlike all other Currently Covetings, I don't have a particular product in mind for this one, and I'm hoping y'all can help me out! I'm looking for a truly smooch-proof lipstick (or gloss, but that seems extremely unlikely). I have lots that are long-wearing (Rouge d'Armani, Le Métier de Beauté Lip Crèmes, Shiseido Lacquer Rouge), and I know there are many others that do the same, but I don't have any that are transfer-resistant, much less transfer-proof. Rouge d'Armani is the closest, but even it transfers (to the boy, in case that wasn't clear). Ideally, it would be something that is comfortable to wear, isn't sticky, doesn't dry my lips out, and isn't painfully expensive, but the primary goal is something that stays put. I've tried several lip stains in the past and had truly abysmal results, so I would guess that anything liquid or gel is unlikely to work for me.

So, ladies: suggestions? Thank you for your help! (I'm sure the boy thanks you, too.)

Currently Coveting: Shiseido Lacquer Rouge

Usually, Currently Covetings are things I find pretty but don't actually intend to buy. Not so for today's feature!

Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in Nymph, $25 for 0.20 oz, available from Sephora and department stores

Shiseido recently (like, last week?) released a new line of liquid lipsticks, and let me tell you, Nymph ("rich fleshy rose") will be mine. I was planning on buying a YSL Glossy Stain as a birthday present to myself, but couldn't decide on a shade. Turns out it was because the universe wanted me to wait for this MLBB-perfection, $7 cheaper, non-gummy-textured longwearing lipstick! You can look forward to a full review once I've acquired it (sometime after my birthday/paycheck).

Have any of you tried the Lacquer Rouges? 

Currently Coveting: Bronzers and Highlighters

Currently Coveting is an intermittent feature on products that catch my attention, whether new, cult classics, or something in between!


I'm pretty pale, much like French is pretty nasal. I've never been matched to MAC's main line of foundations, but Matchmaster 1 is just a little bit dark for me, so I'd guess I'm in the NW 5-10 range depending on season. Most of the time, I'm just fine with that; sure, I have to wear sunscreen like whoa, and gigantic sun hats are my best friend (after bunnies, I mean), but I am just way too lazy to try to fake a tan. I'm also pretty oily, much like cheese is pretty delicious. I use multiple products daily to try and keep my shine to a minimum, and still am not entirely pleased with my results.

And yet. And yet. Lately, I've been finding myself feeling like picking up a bronzer and/or highlighter. I already have a bronzer, Benefit Hoola, and almost never wear it, and a luminizer, theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, which I can't even tell is there after application, so I justify considering buying new ones by saying I'll use it them contouring, since, while the Meow Skinny Dipper is the perfect color for contouring, I am always far too lazy (notice a trend?) to bother with loose powder in the morning, and Hoola is too dark to be a foolproof contour. Really, though, I just want them because they're pretty. Fortunately, I have more restraint than that (barely), but here are some that have particularly caught my eye:

Combos

Korres Magic Light Contouring Trio Santorini, $28 for 0.30 oz

Guerlain by Emilio Pucci Terra Azzurra Bronzing Powder & Blush, $75 for 0.56 oz

Currently Coveting: Sisley-Paris L'Orchidée Highlighting Blush

Many products I feature in Currently Coveting are things I hope to someday buy (or at least try) myself. This is not such a product, but it is extremely covet-worthy, so I thought I should post it anyways!

image via NM

Just look at it. Isn't it beautiful? Also, $108 wtf. I can only imagine how silky smooth and beautifully pigmented it must be, sigh. Check out Karen's review and pictures to see it in action. But seriously, $108?!
$108, available from Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus

Currently Coveting: Fresh Sugar Coral Tinted Lip Treatment

Currently Coveting is a sporadic feature on products that look interesting, whether new, classic, or something in between!

image via Sephora

Really, I want all of the Fresh Sugar lip treatments (especially Rosé, Passion, and Plum), but the newest edition is just so summery and beautiful that I figured it would be most appropriate to post about it! I've heard nothing but praise for this line of tinted lip balm, and the only reason I haven't tried it yet is the price ($22.50 for tinted lip balm?! Whyyyy). But I'm breaking my own boundaries all over the place (if you'd asked me a year ago if I would ever spend $30+ on a lipstick, I'd have laughed in your face, but I am now in possession of 3 such lipsticks, purchased with my own funds, and Lord, that's disturbing), so I no longer find the price quite as prohibitive. May cave and pick one up during a sale or if I get a gift card (my birthday's in July, hint hint!). $22.50 for 0.15 oz, available from Sephora

Currently Coveting: Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres

I have no idea why I haven't posted a CC for this product yet, because it has been on my mind for weeks.

image via NM

It's a new product from YSL that is a hybrid gloss-stain-lipstick, and it sounds potentially awesome. The idea is that you apply one layer to lips and let it settle, which gives color and a natural finish, before adding another layer for shine and more color. The texture sounds very distinctive, and I'm not sure I'd be okay with it (we all know how much I hate sticky gloss), but the idea is very intriguing! I swatched a couple of shades when I was in New York, and I really want #5 Rouge Vintage, a berry-red, though there's a number of shades that appeal to me (#7 Corail Aquatique, #10 Rouge Philtre, 12 Corail Fauve...). I may have to cave and buy one sometime, though it'll have to wait until next month, since I don't have $32 left in my beauty budget for this one!
$32 for 0.20 oz, available from Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus

Currently Coveting: Rouge d'Armani Sheer Lipstick

We all know by now how much I love sheer lipsticks, right? And I recently shared how much I love Armani's Rouge d'Armani lipstick formula. So you can only imagine how hyperventilatingly excited I am about their new product, Rouge d'Armani Sheer.

image via NM

I haven't read any reviews about it so I have no idea how it performs, but Armani says the formula has "a creamy texture" and is "feather light and translucent, as hydrating as a balm". That, plus the gorgeous promo pictures, have got me interested!
$30 for 0.14 oz, available from Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Armani

Currently Coveting: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15

Currently Coveting is a not-at-all daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new, cult classics, or something in between!

image via Sephora

I've heard pretty much nothing but raves about this primer, and I'll admit, it's getting to me. I'm always hoping for something that will control my oil and make my foundation last longer, and all the positive reviews have put this on my mind. I like how brief the ingredient list is, and the SPF, but I vehemently dislike the price––$17 for 0.33 oz or $52 for 1 oz, ouch. I'll probably spring for the mini size someday when I'm feeling flush (and oily, hah), because I can't not try it after hearing so much about it. I just so wish it were cheaper...

Currently Coveting: Haus of Gloi

Currently Coveting is a not-at-all daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new, cult classics, or something in between!

I hadn't heard about Haus of Gloi until Temptalia posted a haul picture on Facebook, at which point I promptly visited their website to see what the deal was. I discovered that the deal was this: delicious bath and body supplies.

Haus of Gloi Emulsifying Scrub Valentine's '12 Who Needs Love

I spent an enjoyable couple of hours browsing the options, trying to narrow it down to something not ridiculous, before I realized that I'm on a bath&body no-buy, and Jesus, Amy, could you just stick to that for once?! So, um, yeah, I managed to talk myself out of buying anything from them for now, but I've got a lot of things I want to try when the time comes, including the Emulsifying Scrubs (they sound like The Body Shop's Body Scrub, which I love for quick and easy moisturizing in the shower), Bubbling Scrubs, and Pumpkin Butter, and the scents Depravity, Elevenses, Haus Amber, Imp, Insalata Nocturna, Madcap Garden, Moon Dog, Picaroon, and Vice, as well as the limited edition Valentine's Who Needs Love. You can see I had problems narrowing my choices down...

Have you tried anything from Haus of Gloi? 

Currently Coveting: Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick

Oh my God, you guys, I am so. bad. at keeping up with any kind of regular feature. I'm sorry! I realized it's been, like, forever and a year since I've done a CC, and there's been so much exciting stuff released lately that I should really be featuring some of it!

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick, image via Sephora

Today's covetous item is the new Dior Addict Extreme lipsticks. They're supposed to be long-wearing and moisturizing, and I am dying to try them. Long-wearing means you don't have to reapply, which means you waste less product, and moisturizing means your lips don't want to die after wearing it, and the combination means that $30 for 0.12 oz might not be quite as staggeringly expensive as it first seems! (Still out of my normal price range, though, darnit.) I'm especially interested in Bellissima and Paparazzi; methinks I'll have to check them out when I'm in New York! (Seriously, there is so much stuff I need to see/eat/buy in 5 days, it's getting ridiculous.)
$30 for 0.12 oz, available from Sephora

Currently Coveting: Jessica Cosmetics Iridescent Eye (from the Peacock Collection) Nail Color

Currently Coveting is a not-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or something in between!

Iridescent Eye, image via Jessica

Chanel Peridot is a wildly popular nail polish, and with good reason. It's a green-gold-blue metallic duochrome, and it's Chanel. As beautiful as the color is, I cannot justify $26 for a 0.40 oz. Luckily, Jessica Cosmetics has duped Peridot (as well as Quartz and Graphite, the other polishes from Chanel's Illusion d'Ombres collection) perfectly with Iridescent Eye, for a mere $7.50. The PolishAholic recently posted a lovely comparison of Peridot and Iridescent Eye, and Goose's Glitter has swatches and comparisons for the whole Peacock Collection (if you don't follow their blogs, why not?!?!). If you've been lemming the Chanels, Jessica's versions are an excellent, affordable alternative. Shipping is $7.50, which is steep if you just want Iridescent Eye, but pretty awesome if you want the whole collection, since altogether they're only $4 more than one of the Chanel polishes. Methinks I'll add it to my "feeling sad and needing a pick-up/celebratory purchase" shopping list: items I want but can't quite justify without emotional turmoil (in the sense of deviance from the norm).
$7.50 for 0.50 oz, available from Jessica Cosmetics

What do you think of Iridescent Eye? Would you buy this or the Chanel, or do you even like the color at all?

Currently Coveting: Sephora Color Reveal Lip Balm

Currently Coveting is a semi-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

image via Sephora

In what is clearly an imitation of Dior Addict Lip Glow, Sephora has just released a new product, a lightly-tinted pink balm that supposedly shifts to become your perfect color. The whole pH-ideal-beauty concept is bunk, but I can't say that a flattering MLBB lip balm doesn't sound great anyways! Unfortunately, $12 for a sheer balm is a wee bit more than I want to spend, especially on Sephora's own brand (yeah, I'm a snob), but I will definitely be stalking the web to see what other bloggers think of it and whether it's worth picking up myself!
$12 for unstated size, available from Sephora

How do you feel about "customized" shades? Does this balm intrigue you?

Currently Coveting: Aftelier Perfumes

Currently Coveting is a semi-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

image from Aftelier Perfumes

Reading Lipstick Musing's post on Cepes & Tuberose perfume from Aftelier piqued my interest in the brand (seriously, go read her review: it's magical, and everything that fragrance reviews should be [and that mine fail to be!]), and browsing the website has only resulted in me wanting at least 6 of the perfumes offered. There's a wide range of scents available in small $6 samples, which is about what a Bond No. 9 perfume sample costs on eBay, and I'm just biding my time until the weather warms up and I can justify trying out new perfumes. Of course, Cacao sounds so delightfully, sinfully decadent that it would be marvelous in the colder winter months, so I may have to make an order sooner rather than later. Secret Garden sounds divine, not least because that was my favorite movie for a couple years (I would go through phases and only rent a particular movie; when I was 5, it was the Lion King, and then I moved on to the Secret Garden, of which there are 3 or so film renditions that I rotated through), and Candide appeals to me because of the name ("the best of all possible worlds!"), even though jasmine hasn't been my favorite scent in the past. But seriously, I pretty much want to try them all, and it's going to be an exercise in restraint when I finally order!

Have you tried anything from Aftelier? What did you think? Which scent appeals most to you? 

Currently Coveting: NARS Lipstick in Damage

Currently Coveting is a near-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

NARS Damage, image via NARS

Okay, everyone should know by now that I'm obsessed with MLBB lipsticks. My problem? Most MLBB-type lipsticks are too nude/brown or pink on me. Revlon Sugar Plum Lip Butter is by far the best product I've found for successfully achieving a MLBB look, but I am, as always, on the lookout for others. NARS Damage has been on my wishlist for many moons, and once I finally cave and buy it, I'm sure it will be added to my HG MLBB lineup. It's part of NARS' Sheer lipstick range, and is described as a "sheer muted grape". I tried a sample of it from Sephora a year ago (maybe more?), and found it to be a sheer, neutral-cool plummy pink that added just the right amount of color. Christine did a review on it a couple months ago, which reignited my lust for it, especially since she said it lasted 3-4 hours on her, much longer than most sheer lipsticks. I know it wouldn't last that long on me, but it's reassuring that I wouldn't have to reapply it all the time, since that uses up the product faster. And at $24 (for 0.12 oz), I'd like to not have to re-buy it too often!
$24 for 0.12 oz, available from NARS and Sephora

Have you tried any NARS lipsticks? What did you think?

Currently Coveting: NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow

Currently Coveting is a near-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

NARS Lhasa, image via NARS

If you read other beauty blogs, you've probably seen promo photos and reviews of the NARS spring collection. There are several items that have caught my eye, but only one that has been added to my "must get before I die" list. Surprisingly, it's not a lip product, but it is a purpley cool taupe, so...really not that surprising after all. Lhasa, named after the Tibetan Buddhist city, is described by NARS as a "lavender grey", and swatches show it to have a satiny shimmered finish.

It's gotten really good reviews from what I've read, and the consensus seems to be that it's one of NARS' good eyeshadows (some have a less-desirable formula). As a taupe lover and person with pale, cool skin, Lhasa just screams to me. Of course, as a grad student, $23 for 0.07 oz of eyeshadow also screams to me––or, more accurately, at me, to stay far, far away. Someday I will be able to justify it, though, and I'm really glad it's being added to the permanent collection, because that means I don't have to snatch it up right away!
$23 for 0.07 oz, currently available only from NARS counters, but I assume it will eventually be available from Sephora

What do you think of Lhasa? Any items in NARS' spring collection that call to you?
PS: Have you voted in the blog poll? Upper right!

Currently Coveting: Clarins 'Prodige' Lip Gloss

Currently Coveting is a near-daily feature on products that look interesting, whether new releases, cult classics, or anything in between!

Clarins is a brand I am very unfamiliar with. It's not available at Sephora, for one thing, and it's not really heavily featured on the blogs I follow. I'm hoping that will change this spring, though, because there are some really lovely, intriguing items from the brand that I want to know more about/see swatches of!

image via Nordstrom

One such item is the new Prodige lip gloss, which comes in 8 colors and claims to make lips full and shiny. Long-time readers know that lip gloss and I don't get along (LMdB Lip Crème excepted, of course), but that doesn't mean I don't still wish they worked for me. Clarins Prodige looks like it has several colors that would work for me, and if the texture is more liquid lipstick than lip gloss (though I have absolutely no grounds for believing that to be the case), I will definitely have to make my way to Macy's to check it out for myself.
$20 for unknown oz, available from Nordstrom and Clarins counters